Scheduling for Health Care, Nursing and Administrative Professional members working in Public Health

Dear members,

We understand that the current COVID-19 crisis has resulted in changes to your normal work schedule.

In many cases, your employer has implemented smoothing under the Overtime Exception language in your collective agreement: this means you may be required to work more than 70 hours per two-week period, provided the hours of work average 70 hours every two weeks of each complete cycle of the shift rotation. Please note: in the Nursing collective agreement, this is referred to as Smoothing, in the Health Care and Administrative Professionals collective agreements, it is referred to as the Overtime Exception.

Once that shift rotation schedule has been posted, additional hours must be compensated at the appropriate overtime rate. So, for example, if you’re scheduled full-time and are asked to work two additional shifts, those two shifts would have to be paid at the applicable overtime rate.

If your shift length is extended, the extension of the shift would have to be paid at the applicable overtime rate. So, for example, if you were scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and were required to stay until 6 p.m., from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. would be paid at the overtime rate.

The NSGEU is in daily contact with your employer, are taking your issues seriously, and working on your behalf.

If you have questions or concerns about changes in your schedule as a result of COVID-19, please contact your Employee Relations Officer by calling 902-424-4063 (toll-free 1-877-556-7438) or emailing inquiry@nsgeu.ca.

Thank you for your flexibility and professionalism during this difficult time.